Cheesecake Cookies Recipe: Variations and Baking Tips

Cheesecake cookies are a baked good that incorporates ingredients typically found in cheesecake, such as cream cheese and graham crackers. There are a few different ways to get the flavors of a classic cheesecake recipe into a cookie: Simply fold cream cheese into a basic drop cookie recipe or create thumbprint cookies with a baked cream cheese filling. Alternatively, bake graham cracker cookies and then pipe sweetened cream cheese onto the baked cookies.

Simplify and improve your cheesecake cookies with the following tips.

1. 1. Refrigerate the cookie dough. Cheesecake cookie dough is often on the stickier side due to the cream cheese. Chilling the dough for a few hours (or overnight) makes the dough easier to handle and prevents spreading as the cookies bake in the oven.
2. 2. Use a cookie scoop. Scooping your cookie dough out with a small cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) will ensure your cookies are uniform in size.
3. 3. Mind the bake time. For a moist cookie that’s chewy, not crumbly, err on the side of slightly underbaking your cheesecake cookies. They will continue to set after you remove them from the oven.

Like regular cheesecake, you can customize cheesecake cookies with your favorite ingredients.

1. 1. Chocolate peanut butter cup cheesecake cookies: Mix mini chocolate peanut butter cups into the cheesecake cookie batter to add a creamy, nutty flavor to the cookies.
2. 2. Chocolate chip cheesecake cookies: For a cross between cheesecake and classic chocolate chip cookies, add semisweet, dark, or white chocolate chips to the cookie batter.
3. 3. Cheesecake sugar cookies: Add some tang and decadence to your sugar cookies by incorporating cream cheese and powdered sugar into the batter.

Store cheesecake cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Adding a slice of white bread to the cookie container will prevent them from drying out. For longer-term storage, scoop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag and bake within three months.